Tensions in the sporting world around the conflict in Ukraine spilled over into the tennis arena when the Ukrainian player Marta Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Anastasia Potapova after she was beaten 6-1, 6-3 by the Russian in their second-round match at the Miami Open.
It wasn’t the first time the war had made a recent impact in the tennis world as the game came after Potapova was warned by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) for turning up to her Indian Wells match against Jessica Pegula while wearing a Spartak Moscow football shirt.
Kostyuk, who had also previously refused to shake hands with Russia’s Varvara Gracheva and Victoria Azarenka, from Russia’s ally Belarus, said “obviously there is tension – we’re not friends.
We are at war at the moment.” The world No 38 told the press there had been no response from the WTA about a request from Ukrainian players to meet. “Yes, we wanted to have the meeting with the board and we didn’t get one.